Extinguishing ash tray



June 25, 1963 J. M. SACKMAN 3,094,993

sx'rmcursmuc ASH TRAY Filed Jan. 30, 1961 Jame s M.Sackman INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,094,993 EXTINGUEHENG AdH TRAY James M. Saclrrnan, 2908 S. Adams St., Tacoma, Wash. Filed Jan. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 85,712 1 Claim. (Cl. 131-435).

This invention relates to ash trays of the class employed tor extinguishing burning cigarettes and the like, and for storing the extinguished refuse material.

It is the general object of this invention to provide an ash tray particularly adapted for use in automobiles, which is simple in construction, but which efliciently extinguishes the burning material and thereafter stores the extinguished material in a closed receptacle of high capacity.

The manner in which the foregoing and other objects of this invention are accomplished will be apparent from the accompanying specification and claim considered together with the drawings wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are side and front views in elevation, respectively, of the herein described extinguishing ash tray as it appears mounted on the dashboard of an automobile; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the interior construction of the ash tray.

Generally stated, the extinguishing ash tray of my invention comprises a funnel-shaped receiver including a hollow stem which has transversely therethrough a pair of opposed openings. These form bearings which receive a rotatable valve member having therethrough a transverse passageway substantially registering with the passageway through the stem of the receiver.

Means are provided for rotating the valve member between open and closed positions and for maintaining it normally in closed position. A receptacle is connected to the stem for receiving and storing the extinguished material.

Considering the foregoing in greater detail and with particular reference to the drawings:

'In its preferred embodiment, my ash tray includes a funnel-shaped receiver from the margin of which extends a cupped support 12 adapted to receive a cigarette or cigar while it is being smoked.

Receiver 10 communicates with, and is attached, to a stem 14 to the back of which is affixed a bracket 16 by means of which the assembly may be mounted on a complementary bracket indicated generally at 18 and extending outwardly from the dashboard of an automobile.

Stem 14 is hollow to aiiord a longitudinally extending passageway. The upper section 20 of this passageway is of restricted diameter, substantially equal to that of a cigarette. This section of the passageway communicates with a discharge section 22 of enlarged diameter.

The upper section 20 of the passageway thus provides an extinguishing area wherein the flame of the cigarette is extinguished, while the lower enlarged section provides for ready transfer of the extinguished material to a suitable storage receptacle 24 which may be threaded or otherwise affixed to the enlarged lower end 26 of stem 14.

Valve means are provided which serve the dual functions of passing the extinguished material to receptacle 24 and of closing ofi the latter to prevent the escape of unpleasant odors.

In its illustrated form, the valve means comprises a valve member 28 journaled for rotation in opposed transverse openings through the segment of stem 14 which contains the enlarged passageway 22. In this way there is provided, immediately above the valve member, a small reservoir which accommodates ashes from the cigarette as it is extinguished. This facilitates operation of the valve.

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Valve member 28 has transversely therethrough an opening 30 which is alignable with the passageway through stem 14. It then may be moved between its open position, wherein the opening is thus aligned and its closed position (FIG. 3) wherein it seals off receptacle 24. As shown in FIG. 3 the cross sectional dimension of opening 30 is substantially the same as that of passageway 22 to provide unobstructed passage of a cigarette therethrough.

Although various means may be provided for thus adjusting the valve, it is preferred to form valve member 28 with extensions which project outwardly from stem 14. Caps 32, 34 then are screwed or otherwise aflixed over the respective ends of the valve member. Manual operation of one or the other of the caps thus rotates the valve member between open and closed positions.

These positions of valve member 28 are determined by stop means associated with cap 32. Thus there is present in the latter an arcuate slot 36. A pin 38 extends outwardly from stem 14 and is received in the slot. The extent of the slot is such that when pin 38 is stopped by one end wall thereof, the valve is open; when it is stopped by the other end wall, the valve is closed.

Means also are provided for retaining valve member 28 normally in closed position, thereby sealing ofi receptacle 24. For this purpose a coil spring 40 is housed in cap 34. One end of the spring is fixed to the valve member 28 and the other to the cap. Accordingly, the valve may be opened only against the tension of the spring, which returns the valve to closed position after each use of the ash tray.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A cigarette extinguishing ash tray comprising an elongated stem having a longitudinal passageway therethrough, mounting means engaging the stem for supporting the latter in a substantially vertical position, a funnel-shaped receiver extending upwardly from the stem and communicating with the upper end of the passageway, a hollow receptacle extending downwardly from the stem and communicating with the lower end of the passageway, an upper port-ion of the passageway having substantially the same cross sectional dimension as a cigarette for extinguishing the latter, the adjoining lower portion of the passageway being larger in cross sectional dimension than the upper portion, a valve member mounted movably on the stem and extending across the lower pas- .sageway intermediate the ends of the latter, whereby the lower passageway above the valve member provides an ash reservoir, the valve member having a transverse opening therethrough alignable with the passageway, the opening in the valve member having a cross sectional dimension substantially the same as that of the lower portion of the passageway, the valve member being movable between an open position in which the opening is aligned with the passageway, and a closed position in which the valve member closes the passageway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,403,197 Rieck Ian. 10, 1922 1,912,598 Snadden June 6, 1933 2,559,070 Goldberg July 3, 1951 2,874,702 Walker et a1. Feb. 24, 1959 2,969,069 Hinson Jan. 24, 1961 

